00:00Today on Rappler
00:06One of the two remaining commissioners of the ICI is resigning.
00:16Pope Leo XIV decries conditions for Palestinians in Gaza in his Christmas sermon.
00:22And Alex Ayala is set to battle World No. 9 Mira Andreeva of Russia.
00:26Rosana Fajardo, one of the two remaining commissioners of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure, is resigning effective December 31.
00:35Fajardo, country managing partner at SGV, is the second member in what was originally a body of three.
00:41The commission was formed to lead an independent probe into anomalies and irregularities in government infrastructure projects in the last decade.
00:48In a statement released December 26, Fajardo did not cite personal reasons for stepping down.
00:54She says she believes that the investigative and prosecutorial responsibilities will now transition to other agencies, such as the Department of Justice and the Office of the Ombudsman, which are better positioned to ensure accountability for contractors and government officials.
01:08Former Supreme Court Justice Andres Reyes Jr., who chairs the commission, will be the sole commissioner left.
01:14Former Public Works Chief Babe Singson earlier stepped down as commissioner, citing, quote,
01:18very intense and stressful ICI work.
01:22Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong also stepped down as special advisor just days after his appointment in late September 2025.
01:31Pope Leo XIV decries conditions for Palestinians in Gaza in his Christmas sermon on Thursday, December 25.
01:38The first American pope says the story of Jesus being born in a stable showed God had pitched his fragile tent among the people of the world.
01:45He then asks, how then can we not think of the tents in Gaza exposed for weeks to rain, wind, and cold?
01:52During the service, he also laments conditions for the homeless across the globe and the destruction caused by the wars around the world.
01:59He says fragile is the flesh of defenseless populations tried by so many wars ongoing or concluded, leaving behind rubble and open wounds.
02:07Leo told journalists last month, the only solution in the decades-long conflict between Israel and the Palestinian people must include a Palestinian state.
02:18Alex Ayala is set to battle world No. 9 Mira Andreeva of Russia and the MGM Macau Tennis Masters at the Macau Forum on Sunday, December 28.
02:26The Filipino tennis star has the chance to end her 2025 with a win over another top 10 player.
02:33The Ayala-Andreeva match is part of the team event of the Macau Masters that pits the squads of Grand Slam champions Lina and Conchita Martinez.
02:40Ayala belongs to the team captained by 2011 French Open and 2014 Australian Open titleist Lee, which also includes Hugo Humbert and Jerry Shang.
02:49Ayala is also set to play in the mixed doubles on Saturday, December 27 together with Shang as they go up against Andreeva and Wu.
02:56The Sunday match will not be the first singles match between Ayala and Andreeva.
03:00They went up against each other in the quarterfinals of the 2022 US Open Girls Tournament.
03:05Ayala won that match en route to a historic junior Grand Slam title.
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